Esmeraldan Encocado, a Tradition Reflecting Freshness and Harmony of Flavors

The Ecuadorian coast boasts a very diverse gastronomy where exquisite dishes prepared with fresh and native ingredients are made, and one of the emblematic dishes of the Esmeraldas region is the famous encocado or escocao, as it is affectionately known in this land.

 

This dish is typical of the Esmeraldas province on the Ecuadorian coast, and its origins come from ancestral African cuisine, where much of the food was prepared with the essential ingredient that gives it a special touch: coconut.

 

This fruit was first cultivated in the Pacific basin where the Esmeraldas River flows into, giving the city its name. The coconut production in this province is extensive, and the crops are carried out using ancestral techniques, representing an important source of income for the country’s economy.

 

In the Esmeraldas region, encocado is prepared with fish, shrimp, and seafood, typical of the coastal area. However, the main ingredient that cannot be missing is the coconut sauce, which is used to soak and give a special touch to the dish. It is also prepared using leaves of chillangua or cimarrón, chirarán, and oregano, which are aromatic herbs native to the region.

 

The Esmeraldans claim that the secret to a good encocado is making it with fresh coconut milk and marinating the well-cleaned fish in lime juice for about an hour; this gives it that special flavor. It is typically prepared with croaker, but it can be made with any other fish.

 

The fish encocado is an essential and emblematic dish of the town of Esmeraldas, where its residents recognize and affirm that the best encocado is prepared on their land.